Mail-bag catcher.



PATENTED AUG. 13, 1907.

T.B.SHBFFBY.

MAIL BAG GATGHBR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21, 1907.

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THOMAS EDWARD SHEFFEY, OF DECATUR, ALABAMA.

MAIL-BAG CATCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 13, 1907.

Application filed May 21, 1907. Serial No. 374,948.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS EDWARD SHEFFEY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Decatur, in the county of Morgan and State ofAlabama, have invented a new and Improved Mail-Bag Catcher, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to mail bag catchers, and more particularly tothat class of devices adapted to be secured at the doors of mail cars toengage a mail bag located adjacent to the track and to hold the samewhen a train is in motion, whereby the mail can be taken aboard the mailcar without stopping the train.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, strong and durablemail bag catcher, having a movable laterally extending fork rod forengaging the mail bag, and means for securing the fork rod in differentpositions. I I

A fm'ther object of the invention is to provide a device of the classdescribed, having a slidable bar adapted to be arranged across thedoor-opening of a mail car, and carrying a bracket having a pivoted forkrod and means for holding the fork rod in a plurality of positions at anangle with respect to the door-bar.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts tobe more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in theclaims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the Views, and in which Figure 1 shows aportion of the door of a mail car showing my invention applied thereto,with a part broken away; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the mail bagcatcher in an operative position for engaging a mail bag; and Fig. 3 isan enlarged cross-section on the line 33 of Fig. 1. 7

Before proceeding to a more detailed explanation of my invention, itshould be understood that it is customary on railroads to suspend mailbags upon suitable supports adjacent to the track, to be seized byproper apparatus carried by the mail cars of trains, so that the mailbags can be taken aboard trains without bringing the latter to a stop,in order to save time and to facilitate the transportation ofthe mail.For this purpose it is necessary to arrange an apparatus at the door ofthe mail car, having a laterally-extending rod.

The airangementis such that the rod passes through a suitable ring oreye secured to the mail bag and pulls the latter loose from the support,the mail bag remaining upon the rod until removed by the mail clerk oranother person in the mail car. The mail bag catchers are so constructedthat when not in'use they are arranged at the side of the car in aninoperative position and are swung into a position extending from theside of the car, by the operator, when a mail bag is to be taken aboard.The projecting rod extends from the mail-bag-catching apparatus in thedirection of the movement of the train, as otherwise it would beimpossible for the apparatus to hold the mail bag. If the train moves inthe opposite direction the apparatus must be shifted around before itcan be used; this is often a matter of difficulty, as the apparatus isheavy, and entails considerable waste of time. To avoid thesedisadvantages I provide a bar slidably arranged across the door, andhaving a pivoted bracket to which is secured a movable pivoted fork rodfor seizing the mail bag. As the fork rod is pivoted, it can be swungabout from one position to the opposite position with great ease and inan exceedingly short space of time, thus adapting it for use when thetrain is moving in either direction. Means are provided for securelyholding the fork rod in the different positions. A

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 represents a part of theside wall of a mail car, having a door-frame 2 and a door-opening 3.Secured at opposite sides ofthe door-frame are sleeve brackets 4 havingalined sleeves 5. A door-bar 6 is arranged to slide in the sleeves 5 ofthe bearings 4 and has spaced integral collars 7. Arranged upon the bar6 between the collars 7, is a rod bracket 8 having a sleeve 9 movableupon the bar 6. of the bracket longitudinally of the bar, though thebracket is free to move rotatably upon the bar. The bracket 8 hasopposite arms 10 at equal angles with the bar 6. The arms 10 have acommunicating recess 11 at the side remote from the bar. The bracket hasa handle 12 by means of which it may be pivotally swung about the bar 6by the operator.

A fork rod 13 of the usual type in apparatus of this character, ispivotally mounted within the recess 11 of the bracket arms near thecenter of the same, by means of'the eye portion 14 at the end of thefork rod, and a pivot pin 15 arranged in suitable openings in the eyeportion and the bracket. The arrangement is such that the fork rod ispivoted at a point substantially intermediate of the two arms and isadapted to swing into engagement with the bottom of the recess of eitherarm. As the arms extend in opposite directions and at equal angles withthe door-bar 6, the fork rod 13 can be ar ranged in opposite directionsand at equal angles with the door-bar to adapt the device for use whenthe car is moving in either direction.

Near the end of each of the arms 10 is an opening 16 through the sidethereof; surrounding the opening is an integral laterally-extendingbarrel 17. A locking member having a tongue 18 and a shank 19 isarranged with the barrel 17, the tongue 18 extending through into therecess. The locking member has a shoulder 20 engaging the side of thearm within the barrel to limit the projection of the tongue-into therecess. A

'lhecollars 7 prevent the movement cap 21 having a threaded part 22removably arranged at the correspondingly threaded end of the barrel 17,has an opening through which the shank 19 projects. The projecting endof the shank 19 has a ring 23 by means of which it may be manuallyoperated. A helical spring 24 is arranged upon the shank 19 between theshoulder 20 and the cap 21, normally to project the tongue 18 into therecess. Towards the back of the recess the tongue 18 presents a flatside; the opposite side 25 towards the opening of the recess is beveled.When the fork rod 13 is swung from one arm to the other, it is releasedby withdrawing the tongue 18 by means of the ring 23, to permit the rodto pass. In moving into the recess of the other arm, the rod 13displaces the tongue by engaging the beveled edge of the tongue. Thetongue of each arm securely holds the bar in position.

The arrangement is such, that when the device is not in use the weightof the bracket and the rod causes it to hang in a downward positionadjacent to the plane of the side of the car as is shown most clearly inFig. 1. When it is desired to use the device, the operator seizes thehandle 12 and swings the bracket pivotally about the bar 6 into theposition shown in Fig. 2. In use the bracket is arranged at the rearside of the car. When the rod 13 is shifted to adapt the device for usewhen the train is moving in the opposite direction, the bar 6 is movedtransversely of the door in the sleeves 5 to arrange the bracketadjacent to the opposite edge of the bar, which then becomes the rearwith respect to the movement of the train.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. In a mail bag catcher, in combination, a slidable bar, a bracketpivoted thereupon and having a substantially straight fork rod pivotedthereto at one end of said fork rod, means for holding said rod in aplurality of positions of equal angularity with respect to said bar andextending in opposite directions therefrom, and means for preventing themovement of said bracket longitudinally of said bar.

2. In a mail bag catcher, in combination, a slidable bar, a bracketpivoted thereupon and having a plurality of arms, a fork rod pivoted tosaid bracket, and means for holding said rod in engagement with each ofsaid arms respectively.

3. In a mail bag catcher, in combination, a slidable bar, a bracketpivoted thereupon and having oppositely ex tending arms, a fork rodpivoted to said bracket, and means for removably holding said rod inengagement with each of said arms, respectively.

4. In a mail bag catcher, in combination, a slidable doorbar, a bracketpivoted thereupon and having arms presenting recesses, a fork rodpivoted between said arms and adapted to be located in said recesses,and means for removably holding said rod in each of said recesses.

In a mail bag catcher, in combination, a slidable doorbar adapted to bearranged across the door of a mail car, a bracket pivoted upon saiddoor-bar and having oppositely extending arms presenting a recessextending from one of said arms to the other of said arms, a fork rodpivoted in said recess between said arms, and adapted to be arrangedwithin said recess at each of said arms, and a locking member carried byeach of said arms for holding said rod in position,

6. In a mail bag catcher, in combination, a slidable doorbar adapted tobe arranged across the door of a mail car, and having rigid collars, abracket pivoted upon said doorbar between said collars, said brackethaving oppositely extending arms presenting at the side remote from saiddoor-bar a recess extending from one of said arms to the other of saidarms, a fork rod pivoted in said recess between said arms and adapted tobe arranged in said recess at each of said arms, and a locking membercarried by each of said arms and having a tongue extending into therecess thereof for holding said rod in position.

7. In a mailbag catcher, in combination, a slidable doorbar adapted tobe arranged across the door of a mail car and having rigid collars, abracket pivoted irpon said doorbar between said collars, said brackethaving oppositely extending arms at the side remote from said door-bar,and a recess extending from one of said arms to the other of said arms,a fork rod pivoted in said recess between said arms and adapted to bearranged in said recess at each of said arms, each of said arms having abarrel communieating with said recess, a locking member arranged in eachof said barrels and having a tongue extending into said recess forengaging said rod to hold the same in position, and a spring in saidbarrel for normally projecting said tongue, said tongue having a bevelededge at the end adjacent to said recess.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS EDIVARD SHEFFEY.

Witnesses I. .T. EDWARDS, WM. Mosnnnx.

